There were times while he waited for approval on his work visa to the United States where Kenny Deuchar wondered just when he would finally get to join Real Salt Lake.
Deuchar met up with his new club during its preseason trip to Argentina and practiced and played with RSL down there. But when they returned to Utah, Deuchar had to go back to Scotland and wait for the necessary paperwork to be processed.
Deuchar was finally cleared to go this week and arrived in Salt Lake City late Thursday night -- just in time to take the field against Chicago in RSL's season opener on Saturday.
"I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going make it back in time for the first game, so it's a great bonus to be here," Deuchar said.
Deuchar's debut against the Fire will probably not come in the starting lineup, since he has been in Utah and training with RSL for such a brief time.
A month has elapsed since his last competitive soccer game, but the Scottish striker believes he can work himself into top level playing shape within a game or two. Still, he admits it will be adjustment to go from Gretna, his former team in the Scottish Premier League, to RSL.
"It's a different style of play from what I've been used to," Deuchar said. "But people seem to be saying they don't have a lot of players that play a similar style [to] what I play like."
What will help Deuchar the most is that he does offer such a radically different look up front from past RSL strikers. He brings a definite height advantage and an ability to attack the box from wider angles than might be available to a smaller forward.
His presence should make the frontline much more formidable than it was at this time a year ago.
"We have the tools," said fellow striker Robbie Findley. "We just got to see what happens. But we have what it takes, no doubt in my mind."
Deuchar's arrival is the latest piece of the puzzle to fall into place RSL in recent weeks.
Findley, Nathan Sturgis and Chris Seitz are all back with the club after finishing their recent stint with the U.S. U-23 national team. All three players have come back with a boost of confidence from their time alongside with some of the best players in U.S. soccer.
With all the training involved leading up to the actual games, none of the three enjoyed much of a break during the offseason. But Findley, Sturgis and Seitz all relished their time involved in helping the U.S. qualify for the Olympics.
And they hope to get called on again later this summer in Beijing.
"It's just something you dream about when you're a kid," Findley said. "It's the most popular sporting event in the world. Just to be a part of that and to represent your country is just something that's amazing."
RSL is also finally getting healthy for the season opener. Various ailments kept key players out of exhibition games and practices over the past month or so. Kyle Beckerman dealt with a bruised left foot. Nick Rimando had shoulder problems. Chris Wingert suffered the most serious injury, a sprained MCL in RSL's final exhibition game in Argentina.
The timing of the injuries wasn't great. But it could have been worse. In Wingert's case, he'll take missing a couple weeks of preseason training over a large chunk of regular season action.
"You can look at it two ways," Wingert said. "Sometimes you say, "Oh, I can't believe this happened." and you're devastated. But, at the same time, I was fortunate. It could have been an ACL, which is six months if you have to get surgery. Or even a meniscus [tear] you have to get surgery."
RSL coach Jason Kreis is happy to have everyone back on the field in time to face the Fire. Chicago offers his young team a good test, Kreis said, based on what they accomplished in 2007.
"This is a playoff team," Kreis said. "So, right out of the gate, we're playing against a team that accomplished last year what we would like to accomplish this year."
Still this is far from what Kreis would consider a make or break game for his team. He doesn't want his players to feel overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations -- especially going in against the Fire which return many core players from a team that reached the Eastern Conference Championship.
It only stacks the deck further against RSL. The club only has one victory against Chicago six meetings since beginning MLS play.
"For me, the opening game is like any other game," Kreis said. "They all count the same. Until they start making the opening game count for six points, we've got to maintain some calm."
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
